"The fact that we are talking about this during a very important moment in American history has me deeply upset"

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An April 26, 2011, photo shows Donald Trump and Marlee Matlin attending a "Celebrity Apprentice" event in New York City.

Oscar-winner Marlee Matlin fired back at Donald Trump Friday afternoon following a report that he routinely referred to the deaf actress as "retarded" during her 2011 appearance on "The Celebrity Apprentice."

According to The Daily Beast, Trump mimicked and demeaned the star and suggested she was mentally handicapped.

"[Trump] would make fun of her voice. It actually sounded a lot like what he did [to] the New York Times guy,” a source who worked on "The Celebrity Apprentice" told The Daily Beast, referring to when Trump appeared to mock disabled reporter Serge Kovaleski last year.

In the past several days at least six woman have stepped forward accusing Trump of improper and forcible touching as well as aggressive sexual contact.

"The term (retarded) is abhorrent and should never be used," Matlin wrote. "The fact that we are talking about this during a very important moment in American history has me deeply upset."

Another source told The Daily Beast Trump's behavior toward Matlin carried on throughout much of the season. "In the boardroom, he would talk to her like she was 'special,'" the source said. "He took her deafness as a some kind of [mental] handicap."